In a crucial T20 World Cup match, New Zealand faces off against Canada as the Black Caps aim for a place in the Super 8s. On Tuesday, Canada won the toss and decided to bat first in what promises to be an exciting encounter in Chennai, India.
New Zealand, currently positioned for advancement in Group D, will be led by stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell due to regular skipper Mitchell Santner’s illness, attributed to a bout of food poisoning. Cole McConchie has stepped in to fill Santner’s role in the lineup.
The Black Caps have also had to adapt to another change, with Kyle Jamieson taking the place of pace bowler Lockie Ferguson. Ferguson is set to rejoin the team during the Super 8s after returning home for the birth of his first child.
Securing a third victory in Group D will guarantee New Zealand’s progression to the next round, joining formidable teams including South Africa, England, West Indies, India, and Sri Lanka. New Zealand began the tournament on a strong note with wins against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates but suffered a setback with a loss to South Africa.
On the other hand, Canada is struggling at the bottom of the group. Having lost to both the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, the team must secure a win against New Zealand to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Notably, Canada has never faced New Zealand in a T20 international, but the Black Caps hold a perfect record against them in One Day Internationals, winning all three previous encounters.
Adding to the day’s stakes, Zimbabwe is set to compete against Ireland, and a victory for them could result in the elimination of reigning champions Australia from the tournament in the first round for the first time since 2009. Nepal, still in search of their first win, will conclude their campaign against Scotland.
The teams for the match are as follows:
Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (captain), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.
As both teams take to the field, cricket enthusiasts worldwide will be watching closely to see if Canada can pull off an upset, while New Zealand looks to secure their spot in the next stage of the tournament.